Into The Sunset: An Erotic Romance Anthology Read Online Free Page B

chin, and two cookies in her
hand.
    Rose hugged her mother.
    “ So, you’re signing? You’re
investing?”
    “ Of course. From the looks of that
cabin, I’d be a fool not to.”
    Rose started going through the paperwork and
her eyes glazed over at the legalese. She read the same phrase
three times before turning to her expectant mother. “Ah… No offense
to anyone here, but I’d be a fool to sign this without
understanding what it means either.”
    Her mother couldn’t quite keep the indulgent
smile off her face. “You know where the fax machine is.” She had
always praised Rose for her brains.
    “ And I’ll need some steaks for
bribes,” Rose said, getting up from the table.
    Her mother snorted.
    “ I’ll pay for them,” Rose called
over her shoulder. She shut the door before her mother could
lecture her about freezing good meat and the expense of
shipping.
    “ I’m getting steak,” Jill said
when Rose called her.
    “ Steak and some legal
documents.”
    “ I love it. I’ll email you the
translation.”
    Jill was on the top of the list of people
she’d miss from Boston. Rose always called her for advice. Jill
allowed her to return the favor, taking Rose to auctions where Rose
helped her make good investments. The bribes they exchanged felt
more like a reason to get together. Jill never learned how to cook
a steak and had no interest in remedying it. And Rose couldn’t
finish a bottle of wine by herself. For the next bribe, Rose could
set up a girl’s vacation and pay for Jill.
    “ That was fast,” her mother said.
She was setting a pitcher of milk on the table.
    “ Jill approves of steak. I was
thinking about planning a vacation here with friends.”
    “ Or maybe you could quit your job
in Boston and move here, and they could come visit.”
    Rose opened her mouth to make her customary
protests, but Lily wasn’t going to stop talking to listen to her.
“Look, would it be that bad of an idea to stay down here and keep
an eye on your investment?”
    No, it really wasn’t. While this wasn’t the
first time her mother had tried to get her to move back home, this
was the first time she’d had a really good reason.
    “ And it’s not like we don’t need
your help around the farm. You know we can always use an extra
hand. Plus, we think about leaving you this place…”
    Rose picked up a cookie. “I’ll think about
it.” The chocolate chips were still warm and melted, the buttery
cookie perfectly crisp. It was kind of how Rose thought about her
retirement. Nice, familiar, a reprieve after a life spent bustling
around Boston.
    Did she really want a frenetic city
life?
    No, but the same time too, she couldn’t think
of giving it up entirely. She hadn’t gotten a Bachelor’s in Fine
Arts thinking about money. Her MA in Art History and Advanced
Certificate in Conservation (with an unofficial minor in Ken
Perenyi) was funded by part-time jobs, scholarships, and money from
back home. Memories of those days spent studying and sweating
filled her with pride. Now she reaped the benefits of her labor,
making good money. Most of the time she didn’t care, but she liked
being able to buy her friends expensive gifts and help out her
parents.
    Rex Waits was a problem. The sexy fly in her
ointment, if she wanted a lazy metaphor. And he wasn’t going
anywhere.
    Martha pushed the plate of cookies out of
Annabelle Lee’s reach. It was plain to Rose, the little girl
considered this place home.
    The knot in her chest did strange
uncomfortable things when she thought of Annabelle Lee losing that.
Focusing her thoughts on the girl’s father wasn’t much better. The
pressure fluttered. Rose took a moment to breathe and sort her
thoughts.
    Rex, and his daughter, stayed. She would have
to get over it. She needed to know about the contract and more
about Rex. Would he be okay letting someone else handle the PR
work? Could he continue acting as the foreman?
    Rose spent the rest of the day churning over
scenarios